February 1st, 2020 - 9am – 3pm Downtown Waimea
There are only a few places in Hawaii that experience enough seasonal temperature change to cause an annual bloom. The town of Waimea is one of them. Every year, the cherry trees color the town with their bright pink and white blossoms to mark the beginning of spring.
The Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival has been celebrated for over two decades to honor the historic trees and celebrate the cultural diversity that has made the islands what they are today. This year, the festival is scheduled to take place on February 1st from 9am to 3pm in downtown Waimea.
A Celebration of Japanese Culture
The first cherry trees made their way to quaint town of Waimea in 1953. Three trees were brought over from Japan as a memorial to the founder of the Japanese language newspaper Hawaii Hochi. One of the trees was propagated into 20 saplings, which were planted along Church Row Park in Waimea in 1972.
In 1975, 50 more cherry trees were planted to commemorate the first Japanese immigrants to settle in Waimea over a hundred years ago. Over time, more and more trees have been added to recognize community members, leaders and other dignitaries.
The Festival
This year is the 27th annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Festival. Hundreds of vendors will fill the streets of Waimea offering authentic Japanese food, along with traditional Hawaiian and American favorites, unique crafts and live performances. There will even be hands-on demonstrations for visitors to learn about origami, bonsai, mochi pounding and traditional tea ceremonies.
All the festivities can be enjoyed while being surrounded by the pink and white blossoms of the beautiful cherry trees. You could travel to Washington D.C. to see the cherry blossom festival, but it’s hard to beat the warm sunny weather of Hawaii in February.
The festival is organized by the Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation. If you would like more information regarding the activities, vendors or transportation, you can visit the festival’s Facebook page or call 808.961.8796. Remember to wear pink!